When my dad wanted to try this restaurant, I wasn't sure what to expect. Normally, I don't like going to places where there are mixed foods - Chinese, Hawaiian AND Vietnamese food?! My husband mentioned that his office eats there often and loves it! We went on a holiday weekend and were the only ones there for a while. It looked newly renovated and had plenty of space. Phil was amazing. He made jokes, knew the names of office staff who visit, and gave us tips on what to order. You can tell that he really cared about his restaurant...it's been there for a while! The restaurant is tucked away in a parking lot, so it's not super visible to see while driving. My dad ordered one of his favorites, one of the specials of the day - duck with rice and bok choy. He said it reminded him of his favorite lunches that he used to order a long time ago! Orange chicken - 5/5 - the texture was different from other orange chickens we've tried - think of like chicken karaage with a tangy orange sauce. So good! Spicy eggplant - 4/5 - we asked for mild spice since my mom can't handle spicy. She loved it! Crispy chow mein noodles - 4.5/5 - this was pretty big! It's my hubby's favorite. Next time we're in Menlo Park, I'm sure we will come back to visit Phil! We'd love to support his restaurant and try some Hawaiian food or pho next time! read more

I visited Lotus restaurant for the first time last week. I first glance, restaurant appears to be clean and orderly; in other words, a typical restaurant. I ordered the beef broccoli meal that comes with Chinese chicken salad, and a vegetable spring roll; and a Vietnamese iced coffee. My friend ordered the duck of rice with vegetables. We were busy chatting as the food arrived. Wow! We were pleasantly surprised at the brightness and presentation of the food. Our meals were freshly cooked and piping hot. I am a coffee snob - it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to coffee, particularly iced coffee! My Vietnamese iced coffee was incredible! Our host, Phil, was very pleasant and accommodating of our guest experience. Menu prices are more than reasonable for the quality, selection and portion sizes. I highly recommend this spot for lunch or dinner. Eat in or takeout - your experience will be exceptional! read more

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Come for Phil, stay for the food When we walked in we were greeted by the fabulous Phil who exuded energy and excited. Described the specials in great detail and provided excellent service throughout the meal. We weren't for the duck noodle soup, Hawaiian style katsu, and short ribs which were all very well done. Importantly the meat was juicy. My fav was probs the duck - give it a try PSA: portions are hefty - 3 dishes to share was enough for the 4 of us read more

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Real mid. Pho was a little sweeter than I like, Prob wouldn't come back unfortunately. read more

I've been here twice and enjoyed both visits. Their wonton actually has pork AND shrimp. For those of you that enjoy a good wonton soup, there are very few places that make wontons with both pork AND shrimp. I have never been disappointed with the food here. My only complaint is the wontons are on the smaller side. This spot is connected to a big parking lot so parking won't be an issue. The decor is modern and spacious as well. With so many positive reviews, I am shocked it's empty during my two lunch visits. I hope business picks up because I don't want them to go. It's not easy finding a wonton spot that makes them with pork AND shrimp. Service is also great. The owner is very perosnable Their house fried rice looks good too. That's next visit. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Wonton noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I come back over and over for this food. Particularly for the Hawaiian bbq. This last visit we went in for Hawaiian bbq and my fiancé wanted some Chinese food. Turns out that side of the menu was not available that evening due to a chef calling out. We were offered a few dishes from that menu but decided to go with Pho and egg rolls. It was very nice that they wanted to work with us to make sure we were happy with our menu decisions. Big booth to sit in. Don't let the opens seats deter you away. The Hawaiian bbq was delicious. I got the mixed plate. Everything I could ask for in that meal. Delicious. My fiancé enjoyed the Pho as well. I will be back. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Mixed Bbq Plate - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

It was a pho kind of day and I was wrapping up some errands in Menlo Park when I decided to order from Lotus. I ordered the chicken pho to-go and it hit the spot. The service was quick and they packaged the soups up well so nothing spilled. The menu seemed somewhat limiting though so not sure I will be back (other than for soup to go). read more

Lotus Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Came here tonight for dinner with my mom- her pick. The spot isn't a hole in the wall, but it's not fancy either. The best description I can give is that it's a clean mom and pop restaurant that exceeded my expectations, and I would definitely come back- thus the 5 star review. Pros: a variety of items to choose from... Chinese (which my mom wanted), Hawaiian (which sounded good to me), and Vietnamese as well (will try that sometime). A large variety of food in a restaurant can sometimes result in a mixed bag of what you get. The food at Lotus though was quite tasty and unique (heavenly noodles). Phil the owner was there and he provided excellent customer service... he was attentive and helpful throughout our entire meal. Cons: it's a little pricey for some of the portions... ordered a small salad, and it was quite small. The pot stickers too, came in an order of 4. And while they weren't very big, they were quite tasty! I thought about ordering a second plate. Menlo Park, as with other Bay Area restaurants, are on the higher side, price wise, so while a little pricey, still fits in with the area. Side note: For dinner, my mom and I shared a few of the Chinese dishes. I ordered a Hawaiian plate (chicken) to go, which my son ate some of when I went home. He said it was really tasty. I thought it looked really good, but was still full from the Chinese food, so I haven't tried it yet. Looking forward to trying more items here (and there is plenty more to choose from!) read more

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The ambiance is really nice it looks new and clean. Food is good, i only have tried the Chinese dishes. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Potstickers beef tomato egg - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

After reading other reviews, we were excited to try this place. Went for dinner on a Thursday evening, and a bit surprised by how empty it was. Interior felt recently renovated, but my daughters said it gave them "nail salon vibes." We all ordered different dinner specials, with fried rice instead of white rice. The substitution was prominently advertised as an option on the menu, but our server seemed very befuddled about the request and tapped away on his device for an awkwardly long time. When entrees showed up, one of us got eggplant instead of the kung pao chicken that we ordered, but we decided to roll with it. I got honey walnut prawns, but there were zero walnuts to be found. Food tasted ok, but everything had goopy, sweet sauces (tons-of-corn-starch-and-sugar) and tasted vaguely like fast-food. It wasn't awful, but we all agreed it just wasn't a place we'd come back to. read more

Came back and tried the duck over rice, might be the best item on the menu -- can't remember the last time I got duck this good in the area. Beijing beef was also delicious, this place is super consistent and still so underrated. Thai tea was also solid, big fan can't recommend Lotus enough! read more

Lotus Restaurant - Roast Duck over Rice with Bok Choy - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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Quiet outdoor seating at small sidewalk tables. Great food in large portions. Welcoming proprietor. Quick service. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I thought it was okay. I might go back if somebody else was paying. My husband thought the food was horrible. The service was wildly uncomfortable. Basically a disaster. Fist we went inand tried to sit in a booth. Two people. There were two other tables being used. The server came over and said, "you can't sit there", sit at this table, pointing to a table. There were 4 empty booths! I honestly thought this was bull, but my husband said hey,give them a chance as it's early in the dinner hour and maybe they have a really large party coming in. So, we sat in the very hard chairs. Server said, I'll be right back After we sat down, we waited. We waited for over a half hour and the server didn't bring menus. So, after we waited (and debated going across the street to the Italian place (which was almost full) I got up, walked over to the server and asked for menus, and returned to the table. Returning to the table I saw a friend who eats there once in a while and I asked her what was good. She said, Chinese Chicken Salad, beef with broccoli and kung pao chicken. I asked about the hot and sour soup and she said, it's okay..... We ordered the hot and sour soup and two dinner entrees. and some fried rice. Just then a woman, who I think was the owners relative or girlfriend came in and took over service. We were grateful for that and she was an excellent server. I thought the hot and sour soup was decent, not quite enough vinegar and could have used a little pork but I would eat that again. Nice and hot when It got to the table. My husband hated his entree. I thought mine was okay, maybe a 3 over all. We ate uneventfully. My husband remarked that the first server really should find another career. after dinner was over, we asked for take home boxes. The first server brought us one small take home box and a very small plastic bag. So I counted out our dishes and said we need more boxes and a container for the leftover soup. She brought two very small containers and remarked that I could put everything in these containers. I pointed out I sent her back again asking for a container for the soup and a container for the food, I put the leftover food in several boxes as there was a lot of food left We paid and were getting ready to go. A man, I'm assuming was her boss, which we later found out his name is Phil, came over to say Hi and ask how the food was. He sat down at our table and started talking to us. Expecially about politics and economics and ending with how kids are spoiled today and don't want to work. He was very loud, opinionated, not very knowledgeable and just kept talking to us. Apparently it all started with Clinton. I just quit listening and my husband finally told him he didn't know what he was taking about. He kept talking. Fiinally we said, we have to leave. Why was he talking to us about this Stuff/ No idea as he brought it all up and in fact started talking to us. We got in the car to leave and said to each other, WHAT WAS THAT ABOUNT?!?!? Very unhinged. We aren't going to go back. I threw all the leftovers out when I got home. Kinda lost our apetites... I wasn't going to leave any review, but after I got home and read the other reviews complaining about Phil I felt obligated to write it in a review read more

Been here a few times, getting take out and doing dine in. There are plenty of options on the menu, ranging from Hawaiian, Chinese, to Vietnamese cuisine. My favorites are the house fried rice and the heavenly fried noodles. Everything I've had so far has been amazing so don't be afraid to try anything from the menu! read more

Service was laughable. Only one table was occupied, but our request for a 4-person table was refused. Then it took 30+ minutes to bring our menus! Delivery of food was haphazard. Frankly, I cannot remember the food itself. Then the obnoxious owner seated himself at our table and proceeded to spout ignorance at a high volume, refusing to recognize our desire to leave. Never again. read more

First timer here !! The food was amazing. I had the WONTON soup and the SPAM MUSUBI. The taste was amazing. I am always careful with new places I order from but I 100% recommend this restaurant. The small soup and the MUSUBI were . I was full and it was a great lunch. The service was great. I asked for extra spicy sauce and they added the extra lime I requested as well. This was a pick up order, I am not sure what the ambiance is like but I will definitely find out soon. Looking forward to bringing my family read more

TLDR: the food is good, but the vibes are SO OFF. given this is a restaurant, i'll start with the food then get into the ambiance. CHICKEN KATSU: really good! it comes with rice and macaroni salad. the menu was a bit confusing TO ME because it didn't technically fall under the bbq section (that had specified what was in it). the breading was really good and chicken was super succulent. BEEF PHO: broth is really good - you can definitely taste all the spices they use. HOWEVER it is lukewarm at best. i'd prefer if it was served Hot! they didn't provide many herbs on the side but that's fine. POTSTICKERS: really succulent and fried well! i have no notes on this. AMBIANCE: oh jeepers ... uhhh. it really ruins the dining experience when you can hear the junior server being screamed at by the manager/head chef/trainer in the kitchen. i'm obviously not sure what had transpired before we got here but the entire time my partner and i were here (maybe 30 minutes or so), there were about 3 instances that made me genuinely uncomfortable that this server was getting yelled at?? i'll come back for the food, sure, but maybe just as a to go order ... read more

I've been here at least 4 times, and I had a good experience except for today. The first few times I went I chatted with the owner Phil, who was a great host, and asked me questions about what I studied, etc. About a month ago I went here, Phil wasn't there. I asked where Phil was, hoping to catch up, and they said I could catch him another day. Today I went and Phil was very rude to me. It started off subtle but got a lot more clear. He told me to sit anywhere, so I sat at a booth. Then he told me to move, and let bigger groups have the bigger table. I ordered the Crispy Beef, and asked if it came with rice. He read the menu description to me, and said "doesn't look like it comes with rice." Then I tried to order rice, I said "I'll have the 8 oz white rice. Actually - " Then, he left mid-sentence, telling me he'd give me more time to decide. The next time he came around, I continued to try to order. One of the options on the menu was "Egg Fried or Plain Chow Mein". So I ordered the "Egg Fried Chow Mein". He told me that wasn't an option on the menu. He said "Or means or the other. Which one is it?" I was really confused since it seemed like he was asking me to choose between "Egg Fried" or "Plain Chow Mein". He said that I was a smart guy, there was a typo on the menu, but I knew what he meant. I did not actually know what he meant. It turns out he meant "egg fried rice or plain chow mein", which is what it says on the online menu. But I was confused and I think he thinks I was acting dumb. At that point, I made an excuse that I had to go do something, and said sorry, but I had to leave. He said "I know". I came back and asked him If I did something wrong, since I had always seen Phil as being friendly. He told me I wasn't welcome here anymore, since I was rude the last time I came. I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me that he knows I graduated from Stanford, but that doesn't mean I can look down on people. Then he dismissed me. It's possible he mistook me for someone else, as he told me that I hadn't been here in 3 years, when the last time I saw Phil was last year. Either that or he has some anger issues. read more

Hidden gem! On Maloney, the little alley by the post office. One of the few remaining affordable lunch spots in Menlo Park. Good variety of food. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Duck and bok choy over rice - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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If I can give this place 10 stars for their pho!!!! Oh my god!!!! I love pho so much and hands down this place has the best pho I ever had!!!! The broth is perfection. The flavors are just amazing. Perfect balance. The meat is so tender and flavorful. I highly recommend this place. Don't waste your time elsewhere. Once you have this pho you will be hooked. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Brisket pho - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I was Craving Chinese food!!!! So I rolled to Phil's Kitchen!!! I parked my Whip on the street!!! And walked to Phil's Kitchen!!! I was Greeted by Phil the Owner himself!!! Phil's is a Charismatic Guy and quite Passionate about his Restaurant his Food Offerings !!!! As I was Perusing the Menu!!! Phil suggested the House Specialty - Duck Fat - Roast Duck, Chinese Sausage and Shrimp Fried Rice!!!! Since I love Roast Duck I ordered the House Specialty he suggested!!! 10 minutes later Phil presented me with a Plate Heaping with Fried Rice Goodness!!! I tasted it and it was Heavenly!!!! I squirted a little Sriracha for some Heat and it was Perfect!!!! Tons of Flavors!!!! I ate every Morsel!!!! I highly Recommend that Duck Fat Fried Rice !!!! Service was Friendly and Efficient!!! Nice clean dining room!!! Also steam table Offerings and a Huge menu to pick from. Including Pho and Hawaiian Bbq!!! For all these reasons Phil's is a Baller On a Budget Approved Establishment!!!! read more

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Used to be called Phils ? Service is all. The church of food is what a restaurant, diner or hole in the wall takeout window all strive for... just at different levels, as a restauranteur once confessed. If you are not good with people, and you are a smaller business you may as well throw in the towel and let the food chains take over. Then there is Phil like a preacher of his fare, he pitches pho, walnut shrimp, crispy dry chow mein noodles with chicken, and his famous teriyaki chicken. Regulars from the neighborhood come in and he is proud that he knows their usual. I witnessed customers coming by for chat, and a kitchen so busy with takeout orders there is a loud Chinatown kitchen vibe consisting of yelling in cantonese, pots and pans crashing and sounds of woks sizzling simultaneously with Phil checking on orders and refining orders if needed. It was a stormy day when I walked in to have my large bowl of Pho ( with the works including tripe and things non Asians might cringe at ..) The noodles were slightly more firm, al dente. Soup hot, slightly greasy and fatty the way most broths should be. The beef slightly rare and nicely thin. It seemed this stormy day brought in a storm front of customers. I listened to the racous in the kitchen, and Phil preaching his menu this day. No wonder the neighborhood comes here. Note: menlo park prices ... $20 ish dollars for a large bowl of Pho Pricing is on par with the neighborhood ... rents / leases are high and housing almost untouchable these days. read more

Absolutely awful experience. Hands down the rudest owner I've ever encountered -- I don't even know his name, but honestly, I don't care to. He talks down to his customers and even screams at his own employees right in front of people. I've personally witnessed him cussing people out multiple times. The level of disrespect and arrogance is unbelievable. They can't even open on time, and when they finally do, the food is bland, greasy, and completely forgettable. It's no wonder the place is always empty. If you value your time, money, or dignity, stay far away from this place. The owner might pretend to be nice at first, but the second something doesn't go his way, his true colors show. You've been warned -- this is easily one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. read more

Looking for Pho in Menlo Park, which can be a challenge. We went to Lotus because it was the only spot in town. If you know Pho, it's all about the broth and theirs is delicious! This was formerly a quick Chinese take out bar and you could also order delicious Hawaiian food too. It's been turned into a sit down dining experience. The service was attentive and friendly. I will not have to go to Redwood City or Palo Alto for Pho at lunch. I can easily walk there and enjoy a great meal in Menlo Park. I encourage you to try Pho and other food at Lotus. read more

Aloha! I was craving Lau Lau badly and Takahashi Market was closed today. So like smart people do, I turned to Yelp and searched for Best Lau Lau. I read the reviews and was a little skeptical but my craving for Lau Lau was strong and I knew that going to the other Hawaiian mixed plate spots don't serve up great Lau Lau. Anyway, I am so glad I came here. The Lau Lau is steamed!!! ....never heated in a microwave. The taro leaves filled with moist succulent pork and fat.... so good I'm coming back and telling all my friends about this place! The place is clean. The two men working there were super friendly and down to earth. Not sure if either of them was Phil. They are serving up Chinese food too. When I come back I gotta try the House Fried Rice because it's cooked in duck fat! Yassssss yumminess! Mahalo Phil's ! Peace out read more

Lotus Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Absolutely bomb! If you're a spam musubi person, pls pls try it with a fried egg. This was on Phil's (the owner) recommendation, and I didn't regret it one bit. I then chose the House Fried Rice and I ordered it to be spicy (although it could've used a bit more of a kick!). Love going to this place, never disappointed. By the way, Phil was so kind and welcoming. He made sure to go through the menu with me and gave me some background on the history. Pls come here whenever you're in the mood for Hawaiian, Vietnamese, or Chinese food read more

Lotus Restaurant - Spam Musubi (with fried egg) - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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I had the strangest experience at this establishment. The food was decent but the service was wildly uncomfortable. I came on a chill Monday lunch time, not too busy. The server was a very sweet woman, she was new but doing a fine job. A man, I'm assuming was her boss, which we later found out his name is Phil, was SO incredibly rude to her- it was borderline abusive and super uncomfortable. The restaurant isn't that big and this man was berating her on every little thing. It first started after I ordered and I heard him loudly say, "I don't know what that means... how would I know? What did you push?" The new server answered but I didn't hear what she said. Then he berated her about how the menus should be in order. Loudly. For the entire restaurant to hear. It was so strange since it's not like it was that busy. Then I received 2 out of the 3 things we ordered, we received the last thing super later in our meal. Perhaps if Phil wasn't busy power-tripping, yelling at new employees and actually helping with the service, we could have received all of our food on time. I wasn't going to leave a review but I've since read other reviews complaining about Phil and I felt obligated to tell my story. I hope that new server finds a different place to work. If this were a chain or organization, Phil would be fired for harassment. I would steer clear from this place. I actually regret not saying something in person but didn't have it in me because I felt this man was so unhinged. read more

The last time I was back in CA, Phil's Kitchen/Phil's Treasure Pot was getting renovated and I was so devastated. I was finally able to go back this Thursday evening and I was so happy to see it open, reborn as the Lotus Restaurant. Phil, friendly as always, greeted me and my two co-workers. The interior has lovely lotus light fixtures and a more modern, sit-in dining feel. With the new furnishings, it feels more spacious now and there's plenty of space for parties. They also cater still (they had catered in the past for my department at Stanford and we had their food for baby showers, bridal showers, and birthdays). I used to get the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken plate and musubis every other weekend and often after work. So of course as soon as I get there, me and one of my co-workers split a spam musubi. Phil had cut it in half for us and I did not have time to take a picture because my half went straight into my mouth. Since my co-workers had never been to Phil's before, I ordered the Hawaiian mixed plate (so they could sample the Hawaiian food) and my co-workers ordered the heavenly crispy noodles and the crispy garlic prawns. Phil has stayed consistent in aloha with such generous portions. We had leftovers to take home for another meal. The Hawaiian barbeque chicken was on point, flavorful, and juicy (and most importantly not teriyaki...don't even get me started on all the other places that claim they serve Hawaiian food and it's all Chinese American style with various meats covered in teriyaki sauce). The steamed rice was perfect and fluffy. No soggy, underdone, or overdone rice here. One of my co-workers ate most of the mac salad and the little that I got was exactly what I remembered pre-pandemic so I'm glad the flavor stayed consistently awesome. While I was focused on the chicken, I didn't get to try the beef or short ribs because my co-workers attacked those. My best guess was they were really good. The crispy noodles came out and we were delightfully surprised by the presentation. There was a pair of chopsticks that looked to be holding up a generous amount of noodles. Phil was so sweet in helping us tackle the plate (but gracefully and like a pro), mixing the crispy noodles into the sauce but in a way where you still had some parts that stayed crispy and other parts where the noodles soaked in the sauce. This is what I think sets Phil apart. As an owner, he is not only always ready to help, he engages with his patrons. If it's not crazy busy, he is able to catch up with his patrons and also gets to know his newer ones. It's been so long and he still remembers my name, my husband's name, and even remembered to ask about my little ones. Now back to the food. The crispy garlic prawns. There was no skimping on the prawns nor the garlic. I have never tried the prawns here and I have to say that this is a must order if you like garlic prawns. So so good. I cannot wait to see Lotus Restaurant be filled with patrons. I love supporting mom and pop shops and hope that Phil and his family are able to continue to provide Menlo Park and it's surrounding area with fantastic Hawaiian, Chinese, and Vietnamese food. My hope is a bit selfish since I hope with more business, Phil will be able to expand their Hawaiian offerings and slowly re-introduce their lau lau, kalua pork, and loco moco (those were so good pre-renovation). I'll certainly be back and you can bet we'll be catering in the future as well as hope to have group dinners here. I also love that the flower chosen for this restaurant is the lotus. Through the hardships of the pandemic, Phil and his family were able to make it through. The lotus flower grows in muddy water so I feel like it's symbolic. The most beautiful things can come out of challenges and hard times. Here's to resilience, kindness, community, and good food! read more

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LOVE their Pho. Best in the area. I prefer the steak as the beef broth is so rich and delicious. I eat gluten free and there aren't a ton of good options in our area, so this is my go-to. I typically get take out and Phil, who runs Lotus Restaurant and Phil's kitchen is great. He allows me t bring my own bowls in so that I don't have to use so much plastic. He is a small business owner and he said that his restaurants are at risk of closing due to pricing. Please support and not let this business close like so many others. I am going to try Phil's Crab Fried Rice tonight! He claims there is crab in every bite. Can't wait! read more

I had a review written, but I guess turning my phone sideways deleted it. Any who, Super busy spot. Props to the guy who was taking orders. Waited about 40 minutes from the time we got in til we got our food. Guy was super apologetic. Loco moco was dope. Co worker ordered BBQ chicken. Will Def be back and call ahead next time. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Loco moco - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Lotus Restaurant is a bright spot in the Menlo Park food scene with great portions, reasonable prices, and truly friendly service. Normally I'm skeptical of places that promise to do more than one type of cuisine, but it's truly some of the best Chinese food I've had, not to mention their Hawaiian and Vietnamese options are excellent as well. I've eaten at this place probably once a week over the last year and the quality hasn't slipped, truly can't recommend this spot enough read more

Their pho is good and may say surprisingly good considering the restaurant location. The broth is clean but have enough oils and fats, definitely a plus, to maintain taste. All the standard garnishments are included, except ngo gai (). And, you have a choice of having uncooked noodles if take out to keep from being soggy. They carry Hawaiian and Chinese foods for the most part, and the Loco Moco is pretty good from word of mouth. Out of the way to get to but worth a visit if close by. read more

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Disrespectful, rude, dirty food , superior treatment, imagine that they started yelling at me just because i asked to bring the manager I really DO NOT recommend it read more

Haven't been to this place for a long time, very happy that they are still open. Due to inflation, everything is more expensive than before, this restaurant is not alone. Food is still good and tastes yummy, highly recommend #3 Lau Lau and Kailua Pork, #4 BBQ Combo. Environment is clean, staff is friendly. Will definitely come back if I am in the area. read more

Lotus Restaurant - #3 Kailua Pork & Lau Lau - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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To start off, this place has been a favorite of mine for a delicious Banh Mi! It took a while to find a good one despite living in the Bay Area for a few years but I happened to stumble across this place by accident. Gave it a shot and was not disappointed. The menu comes with a surplus of dishes ranging from Chinese to Vietnamese that provide a true Asian fusion experience. The owner is a kind hearted man that would always make time to converse with customers to make this restaurant feel more welcoming and bring a positive energy to the atmosphere. After having been away from the Bay Area for over a year due to work, I was fortunate enough to come visit again for the holidays and stop by this restaurant and to have my favorite dish again. read more

This place is heaven! Over a year ago my partner and I were in downtown Menlo Park and were deciding where to eat. We decided to come here for the Hawaiian BBQ. Let me just tell you, we first came in with curiosity but this became a staple when we lived in San Jose. And yes we happily drove the 30+ minutes to be able to enjoy this food. Our standards for Bah Mi's and Chinese food were elevated. We got to know Phil really well. He treats all his customers like long time regulars. About last year in February my partner received military orders to move to Florida. We came to eat here the second to last day before leaving. We were devastated to leave such a good restaurant behind. We have been missing it since. Almost a whole year later we came back to California to spend the holidays with family. We both knew that the first thing we wanted to eat was some Bah Mi and Pho at Lotus. We just arrived at SF Airport this morning and rented a car to come eat here once Phil opened. We were the first customers of the day and he recognized us and welcomed us back in like we were coming back home. We haven't been able to find anything like this. The food is more than amazing and Phil is like family. He deserves all the good business that life has to offer. read more

We ordered delivery from this location since we were craving Hawaiian bbq. It was incredibly delicious! We ordered the bbq combo platter which had very great portions for it's price. The meat in the platter consisted of short rib, chicken, and beef slices. it was nicely savory-sweet and tender and came with a generous portion of macaroni salad which is often my favorite part of the bbq platters. We also ordered a chicken katsu musubi which was also fantastic. The chicken katsu and the seaweed were both nicely crispy and went well with the sweet sauce provided. Overall was a great meal. read more

Lotus Restaurant - Bbq mix platter - Chinese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I've been here in person and ordered delivery. Delicious every time!!! I'm happy they have the flying noodles and pho - those are normally my two cravings and I can get both at once place! Only comment for delivery- the 1st time I had flying noodles via delivery it came "flying" and crispy the 2nd time the noodles were closed in the box - so it was a little on the soggy side when it arrived - but still yummy, just missed the crispy crunch. read more

After hearing about and partaking in their amazing house fried rice with duck, Chinese sausage, prawns, mushrooms, and egg cooked in duck fat, I assumed I need to come back to check out some of their other specialties. Hoping for a quick Friday dinner of take-out, I called in my order. I was driving so I remembered the menu I wanted and assumed it would be easy to call in my order. I asked for the Chinese Chef's Special beef dish, but the guy on the other end of the phone seemed confused until I got out the menu on my phone (while driving and needing to pull over) so I could point out the item and repeat it verbatim - "Beijing Ribeye Beef". I also wanted a straight forward vegetable dish so I ended up with the sautéed string beans. I didn't think to look at the price which was $20 - which seems a bit high for some string beans, but oh well. Once I got through the order, he told me it would be around 20 minutes. 45 minutes later as I waited near the cash register, I noted ongoing confusion between the chef and the guy managing everything at the front of the house. I wasn't thrilled that take out was served in foil containers with paper tops. I cut my fingers on the sides of the foil and bled through dinner. The string beans were fine, but not like $20 worth. The beef was fine with broccoli, peppers, and red onions but nothing special. A pepper still had a label in it. I won't be ordering take out from them again anytime soon, especially with so many alternatives in town. read more

I was surprised to find that they had pho on the menu since the rest of the menu was more like Hawaiian/Chinese. So I was curious and decided to try the pho. It was not bad! The bowl was very large and noodles were plentiful. I thought the soup broth flavor was decent and rather flavorful. Adding Sriracha helped give it a bit of a kick as did adding the jalapeño peppers! Service was friendly and there is some outdoor seating. read more